


Straight-Acting

by Not_You



Series: The Zen And Art Of Getting Naked To Music [1]
Category: Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Body Image, Breakfast, F/M, First Dates, Non-Consensual Groping, POV Alternating, Peggy Does Not Approve, Pre-Serum Steve Rogers, Rescue, Strippers & Strip Clubs, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, literally a huge amount of breakfast
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-10
Updated: 2015-02-16
Packaged: 2018-03-11 12:35:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 5,265
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3327251
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Not_You/pseuds/Not_You
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Peggy is part of a bachelorette party that goes to a gay strip club because gay boys are cuter.  Steve is really cute, but isn't actually gay.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Peggy sighs, and puts a few finishing touches on her makeup. Bachelorette parties are always silly and everyone always drinks too much, but she said she would go and Lillian is a nice girl and hell, it might even be fun. Fun, that thing Peggy doesn't have enough of, according to everyone who knows her. She blinks mascara'd lashes and stands up, smoothing her skirt down over her hips. She doesn't have much that really suits this kind of night out, but a short black dress works for most things. Her phone rings, and she goes down to the lobby to join the girls. She still isn't sure where they're going, but strippers have been mentioned. Peggy hates male strippers. They usually have ugly faces and are spoiled to boot, but she'll put up with them if Lillian wants her to.

"We're going to SHIELD, because gay boys are cuter!" Eva crows as Peggy climbs into the car, and she blinks. Well. Perhaps this will be interesting after all.

The ride is short and filled with shrieks and giggling, and by the time they reach their destination, Peggy is in slightly more of a party mood. They pile out at the door as Janet (designated driver due to being about six weeks pregnant) goes to look for a parking space. SHIELD is famous up and down the east coast for the beauty of its boys, the artistry of its shows, and its shockingly clean and decent business model. Carol leads the way in through the same narrow, dark entry as any dive bar or strip club, and then the building opens out into a gorgeous, flamboyant jewel box of a place, all red and gold and black. Even the poles on the various small stages are gold-toned, and Peggy has to smile. They pay cover because a gay club has no premium on getting women through the door.

An enormous blonde Viking of a waiter grins at them. "Find you ladies a table?" He has a faint Asgardian accent and his name turns out to actually be Thor. Peggy doesn't even dare look over at Eva right now for fear of laughing out loud at her expression.

"Please," Lillian says. She lets him know about Janet coming to join them, and then follows him to a comfortable corner booth that allows them to see the main stage and two others. There are five total, but this is a pretty great spot. Thor takes their drink orders and even if Peggy has to tell him how to make Gunfire, he doesn't act like she's being pointlessly difficult. He heads to the nearest of the bars, and the girls burst out with expostulations about all the hot ones being gay or married. Peggy just laughs at them and settles back as a pair of cowboys take the stage, shooting each other's clothes off with cap guns while doing competing pole tricks to some kind of terrible jangly country song with little hip-hop flourishes. As a British ex-pat Peggy doesn't know too much about country music, but she has to suppose it's generally better than this. Still, the boys are pretty and their dancing is good, even if the whole thing is too camp to really grab her.

Thor returns with Janet and with their drinks. Peggy's arrives in a glass mug with a stem, complete with cinnamon stick for stirring, and she clinks it to the bright and fruity glasses of her friends in a toast to Lillian's married happiness. It is generally agreed that gay boys _are_ cuter, but Peggy still really isn't prepared for the guy who comes out after the cowboys move off in their thongs, one taking a small stage and the other stepping down to work the floor. The place goes quiet as the lights go down and come up again on the central stage. There's a tiny waif of a man up there, alabaster skin glowing in the blue-tinted spotlight. He's so small, but he doesn't look young. His body has a settled look, no long limbs to be grown into or any filling out to come. He just stands there for a long moment, commanding the whole club with his stillness. He doesn't really seem to have a gimmick, wearing what could be street clothes, but is all the more compelling for that, in a place this theatrical. When he starts to slide out of his scuffed leather jacket to the opening notes of 'Fever,' Peggy thinks she might be just a little bit in love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The cowboys are dancing to this horror: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HkbIy77nYw
> 
> Steve uses this version of 'Fever': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i93-hlwULUk


	2. Chapter 2

"Steve!" Sam says, rushing into the dressing room barely in time to start his shift, eyes alight. "There's ladies!"

Steve can feel himself blushing, and Bucky grins at him. As the token straight guy in the place, everyone knows that the occasional group of women affects Steve in a unique way. The first major symptom is always panic, though. Now he races to the mirror to make sure his mascara hasn't smudged. He doesn't generally wear makeup, but onstage he needs mascara to prove that he has eyelashes, and a little rouge to keep from looking too washed out.

"Christ, is this too much blush?" he mutters, and Bucky laughs, coming over and putting his hands on Steve's skinny shoulders.

"Breathe, Rogers." He kneads gently, and Steve takes a deep breath.

"Not even like women want twinks, anyway," he mutters. He doesn't have to look behind him to know that Bucky is rolling his eyes and preparing his, 'You're Beautiful, Goddammit,' speech. "Bucky, you know I'm right."

"Steve, baby, trust me. You're pointlessly fucking hot, and some chicks get off on being Amazon queens."

"Like that makes a difference when I'm stripping in a gay club."

"Aw, c'mon," Sam says, grinning evilly as he yanks off his street clothes, "Some of us are bi." He and Bucky both are, actually, but it doesn't make Steve feel any better.

SHIELD doesn't really have features, but Steve is pretty close to being one and he's proud of that, dammit. He takes dancing as seriously as any other job he has ever agreed to do, and even with the knowledge of ladies, he pulls himself together and is as calm as he's going to get when he takes the main stage. The blue spot was Bruce's idea. He says it makes Steve look angelic, and he'll take his word for it.

The music starts, and Steve starts to work his way down through his various layers, watching the ladies out of the corner of his eye. They seem to be a bachelorette party, and he's glad they're not sitting up by the rail. It might give him a heart attack. He shucks out of the coat and then eases each suspender off, letting them drop down on his thighs, resting there as a suggestion of bondage. He opens his white shirt button by button, revealing the ribbed undershirt beneath as slowly as any girl has ever revealed a bra. Steve is well aware that from a certain fetishistic perspective, he's worth more than his meager weight in gold. At once a delicate, pretty, and smooth-bodied twink and extremely "straight-acting," he's unique, special, and the stuff more than a few of his audience's wet dreams are made of. Putting the tease back into striptease is all part of it, and the song is nearly over by the time he stops caressing himself with his shirt and drops it to the stage. He takes a moment to run his hands over his chest, and pinches his nipples through the thin fabric as someone at one of the nearby tables whoops. Steve writhes a little, getting into it as best he can while worrying about a whole table full of gorgeous women. 

One last artistic shudder and 'Fever' fades into 'Crystalline Green' as Sam struts out to join him, a large plastic cup of water in one hand. He steps up to Steve with his usual challenging smirk, and it takes everything Steve has not to grin back at him. He and Sam always flirt, because Sam is good at remembering that Steve is straight. He puts an arm out for Steve to lean back on, and then pours the water over Steve's chest. It's just cool enough to keep his nipples hard, and Steve shivers, gazing up into Sam's eyes for a moment. If Steve were gay and somehow not sweet on Bucky, it would probably be Sam. Sam winks at him like he can read Steve's thoughts and raises him up again, sliding a hand under his drenched undershirt. He doesn't actually pinch Steve's nipple because he's sensitive enough that another person, even a guy, doing it would probably get him hard and that would be awkward. Still, the suggestion is there, and Steve moves with Sam as he peels him out of the wet shirt. He tosses it so it lands next to the other discarded clothes, but not close enough to get them wet because Sam is great like that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't ask me why Sam uses 'Crystalline Green,' because I couldn't really tell you: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JKCKde80D0


	3. Chapter 3

The shift from a jazz standard to Goldfrapp isn't as jarring as it really should be. "Peggy fancies the little one," Eva sing-songs, and Peggy doesn't even try to deny it, too busy trying to mop up her drool. She has always had a weakness for extremes, either the massive strapping type or delicate little birds like the one currently enacting a way better version of the only part of 'Flashdance' that anyone remembers.

"He does have a really pretty face," Lillian says, already giggly.

"I like the black one better," says one of Lillian's office friends whose name Peggy can't recall just now.

"They are both pretty, and I will buy you each a lap dance," Lillian says, and Peggy doesn't think she's actually serious. Two drinks later, Peggy realizes that the bride-to-be is very serious indeed. By the end of 'Crystalline Green,' the blonde is down to a pair of drop-dead normal grey boxer-briefs, a towel around his neck, and boots that match the jacket. His friend still has his pants on, but of course it's only a matter of time. He takes over the stage, and the blonde hops down to work the floor, tossing the towel to a waiting busboy. Peggy watches him go, trying not to swoon too obviously, because Christ almighty, he's _beautiful _. The others are all watching his friend onstage, but Peggy keeps her eyes on the little one, watching as a guy calls him over, sliding a folded bill into the waistband of his shorts.__

__The client is an average-looking guy, and it lulls Peggy into a false sense of security. It seems to do the same for her favorite dancer, because when the guy grabs his ass, his cry of, "Hands!" is loud, angry, and a little frightened. After all, he really is too little to get away by main strength, and it makes Peggy angry to see him slapping at that greedy grip. Out of the corner of her eye she sees someone else swooping down on this situation, but she's closer._ _

__"Oi!" she roars, "Let him go!" She wants to break both this wanker's wrists, but settles for grabbing the cuffs of his shirt and yanking as hard as she can, the fabric cutting into him viciously and making him yelp. The dancer jumps up as soon as he can, but no one else has time to react until the bouncer arrives, except for her friends, who whoop and applaud._ _

__"This is a gentlemen's club," the bouncer drawls, sounding bored as he pulls the guy to his feet, "and you are expected to behave as gentlemen. The boys may touch you, you may not touch the boys. Having broken this basic rule, you are now being ejected. Your buddies can come too." He bundles them out, leaving Peggy and the dancer standing there._ _

__She feels like a pig to be ogling the guy like this right after he's been pawed without his permission, but she really can't help it. His tiny frame is covered in wiry muscle, and up close she had been able to see that his skin really is that perfect. She can absolutely understand the urge to touch it, but prides herself on remembering her manners. He looks up at her with huge blue eyes and she does her best not to fall into them._ _

__"Thanks," he says, and then goes over when the redheaded bartender when she beckons him._ _

__Peggy goes back to their table as the dancer sits at the bar, apparently on break now. She rolls her eyes when the others tell her what a total badass she is, but of course does not refuse when the bouncer offers them a round on the house for going above and beyond the call of duty. Peggy actually has a few medals and doesn't want to think about getting them, but manages a smile as the girls order._ _

__She's halfway through another Gunfire and absently watching some truly impressive pole tricks by a skinny kid working his way out of what she thinks of as 'nerd drag' when she feels a presence at her elbow and looks around. She nearly swallows her tongue to see the little blonde there, wearing a short robe and holding a mug of something hot._ _

__"Hi," he says, and his voice is a little husky, hard to hear over yet another Nine Inch Nails track. "Mind if I sit down?"_ _

__Peggy actually opens her mouth and speaks real words. She is very proud of herself._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just FYI, the kid on the pole is Peter Parker, and this is his song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptvXhRKZTFk (For real this time. Thank you, Constant Reader.)


	4. Chapter 4

"Make yourself comfortable," Steve's savior says, "are you all right?"

"Yeah," Steve says, glad his voice doesn't wobble as he tries not to stare. She was gorgeous in her rage and she's even more beautiful now, composed and welcoming. "I'm taking a minute to get my game face back on, but I'll be back on the clock soon." He pulls a chair up to the table, blushing a little and hoping they don't see it.

"I'm just glad Peggy was on alert," a tall blonde says, reaching over and patting his hand.

His face gets hotter. "I am, too." He glances over at Peggy. "Thanks again, Peggy."

"You're welcome." She lets the pause go on and up to ask for his name.

Steve wants to give his real one, but that seems particularly incautious. "I go by Star here, which was my dumb friend's idea."

"I don't know," Peggy says, smiling at him in a way that makes him feel like important things inside him are melting, "I think it's kind of cute." She stirs her drink with a cinnamon stick, the gesture elegant. 'Cute' is often the death-knell of Steve getting anywhere near a woman in a non-platonic capacity, but there's a warmth to the way Peggy says it. "And it's not as if you don't have star quality." Steve actually hides his face and blushes worse than ever at her gentle laughter. "How does such a shy boy work here?"

He laughs, still muffled by his hands, and then looks up, still pink. "Well, I'm straight. Men watching doesn't matter so much."

"Are we throwing you off your game?" the blonde coos, and Steve laughs.

"I can't say ladies in the club doesn't make me nervous, but that's not always a bad thing."

She laughs as well, introducing herself as Carol Danvers and then going around the table, though Steve probably won't remember everyone's names. They seem like nice girls, though, and actually are a bachelorette party. They're kind to him and appreciative of Peter's performance, and he doesn't really want to leave this sweet oasis of lady-ness, but he and Bucky need to make rent this month. He finishes his drink, which is hot tea with half a shot of Jameson, and stands.

"It's been nice meeting you," he says, "but it's back to the salt mines for me."

"Oh?" The bride-to-be is named Lillian, and Steve can't help but think of Lilith with the look she's giving him now. "Not to make things awkward, but I _did_ did promise a couple of friends lapdances..."

Steve blushes again and laughs. "A couple, huh?"

"Jo wanted the guy who poured the water on you, and Peggy wanted you."

Steve hopes to god that the way his heart flutters is not a palpitation, and puts on his best professional smile. "Let me return this glass and I'll see if I can find him." He stands and walks back to Natasha's bar, trying not to freak out. The last time he did a lapdance for a woman she was old enough to be his mother and actually pinched his cheek afterward. So it had been easy not to get hard or do anything weird. This time it probably won't, and he can only hope anxiety about grossing Peggy out will keep him soft.

"You okay?" Natasha asks as she takes the empty glass.

"Yeah," Steve says, trying not to blush. "Sam on the floor yet?"

"Yeah." She points him out, dancing on a table for a group of entranced businessmen. Steve smiles, making his way over and waiting a few more seconds for the song to finish. It's more Goldfrapp, because it puts Sam in his zone and Bruce has plenty of it on hand and doesn't mind obliging him. He comes to a stop and hops off the table with a bright smile.

"Hey, Steve. What's up?"

"Got a table that wants us both."

"Well, you heard the man," Sam says, blowing his dazed audience a kiss and linking arms with Steve. "You okay?" he asks as they get out of earshot. "I saw Clint throwing a group out."

"Yeah, one just got handsy." He feels himself blushing _again_. "One of the ladies intervened first."

"Oh really?" he asks, raising a very obnoxious eyebrow.

"Shut up," Steve growls, and hauls him the rest of the way to the table.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sam's table dance is to this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuJaoVfUihA


	5. Chapter 5

Peggy reminds herself not to be a loser. Just because she's completely smitten with a stripper she just met does not mean she has to show it. She takes tiny sips of her drink because she's already feeling tipsy, and does not beam when Star and his pal return. The friend goes by Falcon, which is apparently some kind of in-joke, and he's as easy with them as Star is shy. He really is gorgeous, and Peggy can only hope that she's not matching the glazed over lust on Jo's face as she drinks him in. He flirts shamelessly with the entire table including Star, and then sighs as something industrial starts to play.

"Dammit, Rock," Falcon mutters, "that stuff's only good for the pole!"

The skinny acrobatic kid is making the most of it on one of the small stages, and Peggy laughs. "He goes by Rock?"

Falcon shrugs. "Well, there's Rock Hudson, and it's probably a play on his real name. I'm gonna go ask the DJ for something to work with. Be right back." He gets up and slips through the crowd to the booth, and Peggy watches him go for a moment, but turns back to Star as the others keep drooling. He smiles at her, the expression open and sweet.

"Trust his taste?"

"Always," Star says.

Falcon comes back a moment later, and Rock's song starts winding down. "That boy loves Pretty Hate Machine way too much," he says, shaking his head.

"You've gotta admit that he can really work 'Head Like A Hole,' though," Star says, and Peggy smiles, wondering which of the many lacunae in her knowledge of American music this is. Lillian just laughs and hands each of them a single bill, which they tuck away with neat and automatic gestures. 

"And there's our cue," Falcon says, climbing into Jo's lap as something slower and smoother but still kind of heavy and raw starts. She's pretty sure she likes it, and then she has a lap full of Star, and she knows damn well that she likes that. He gives her that shy smile again, and arranges himself over her on his knees, putting those pretty hands on the back of the chair and leaning over her. She grips the arms of the chair and stares at his pink little nipples like an idiot for a moment as he starts to sway, and then gets hung up on the delicate lines of his belly. By the time the lyrics start, though, she's taking in the whole picture and absolutely nothing else. She can't truthfully say that she wouldn't notice a bomb going off, but it would be a hell of a lot more distant. And Peggy would know.

Jo is giggling hysterically as she so often does in this kind of situation,but Peggy can't waste even one glance over, because Star is looking into her eyes and the degree to which he seems embarrassed to be in her lap should not be making this all the more compelling, but it is. He's blushing barely pink, lips slightly parted and skin gleaming just a little with his light sweat. Her heart is pounding and she wonders if he can hear it or feel it somehow, the two of them close enough to share breath. He looks almost as mesmerized as Peggy feels, and she digs her nails into the chair make sure her hands are where she left them and not doing anything stupid.

By the time the music stops she's wondering if she should even try laundering these panties, and Star is trembling a little. He smiles down at her and slides off. "Thank you," Peggy says, because it's all she can really think to say.

"You're welcome," Star says, and favors her with a remarkably silly grin. He and Falcon spend a moment longer at the table to be friendly and Carol buys them both a drink, but all good things must come to an end and soon Star is on a table on the other side of the club and Falcon is swinging up onto one of small stages so Rock can work the floor.

Peggy takes this opportunity to recover and to drink water, because god help her she'll try to follow Star backstage if she gets any more stupid. Halfway through her first glass she remembers to thank Lillian, who just laughs. Eva knows Peggy better, and gives her a sidelong look of concern, recognizing the symptoms of a good friend on the edge of making a fool of herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Peter is working the pole to this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrcTsxs-anU  
> (And Peter → Petros → Stone → Rock, because Peter is a fucking nerd.)
> 
> Sam finds this more suitable for a lapdance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtOToiIDNRA


	6. Chapter 6

Steve does not do this. No one does. It's kind of a point of professional pride not to try to hook up with customers. People's boyfriends show up sometimes, to be fun and supportive or jealous and shitty, but it never starts here. And with women he has to imagine the line is drawn even more firmly, but he can't not do this. Peggy has proved herself willing to leap to a stranger's aid, she's a respectful club patron, fucking gorgeous, and best of all, actually attracted to Steve. It might mostly be liquor, but he has to at least try.

He spews all of this at Bucky, having dragged him backstage partially to use him as a sounding board and partially to be close to his inhaler because freaking out like this can make his asthma attack. Which is what Bucky seems the most worried about right now. "Steve," he says, gripping Steve's shoulders, "calm the fuck down."

Steve hauls in a huge breath with an alarming hint of a wheeze on the end, and then gets a tenuous grip on himself. "Okay. Okay. You're right."

"Once you're sure you're not going to pee yourself, go give her your number. If she doesn't call, we can eat pie and watch 'The Last Boyscout,' and if she does, great. Okay?"

"Yeah." Steve smiles at him, and Bucky smiles back. And then Steve remembers that she might leave at any time, and has another moment of panic, scrabbling around for something to write with. He'll have to do this the old-fashioned way, since tucking a phone into your boxers is a pretty good way to lose it. For a moment he thinks he'll have to use Peter's eyeliner, but Bucky manages to find him a pen and one of Tony's business cards. He scrawls his number and his real name on it and swallows hard before straightening his spine and going back out. He would rather wait until they're about to leave anyway, but instead steels himself to go back over to their table. Peggy looks up, and Steve actually feels faint when he meets her eyes. He makes some wordless noise and then crams the card into her hand before scurrying away, feeling like the biggest idiot in the world.

He avoids that side of the club for the rest of the night, but Sam comes by to tell him that Peggy had at least pocketed the card rather than throw it away. It's not a guarantee, but it gives him the will to get through the rest of his shift. A few more people buy him drinks, and by the time Peggy and her friends are leaving, he's a little hazy, but he knows she looks back on her way out, because she sweeps the club until their eyes meet, and smiles.

Steve has a slight meltdown backstage after close, and Bucky sits on the floor next to him and puts an arm around his shoulders, occasionally murmuring something reassuring, but mostly just being there. Everyone flows around them, removing makeup and getting into street clothes, until finally it's just Steve, Bucky, and Sam, who's apparently lingering out of real concern. He's perched on the counter in his actual personal underwear, but hasn't really gotten any further.

"Don't sweat it," Bucky says, "if his breathing was gonna get bad, it would've happened by now."

Sam chuckles. "Still. You boys gonna be okay?"

"Yeah," Steve says, turning to hug Bucky. "Thanks, guys."

"Hey, we have to take care of our one heterosexual. How will we meet quota without you?"

"I still can't believe I did that," Steve mutters.

"I can," Bucky says, "she's fucking hot. And, you know, your knight in shining armor and all that."

"Ugh, whatever." Steve gets up and starts pulling on his own street clothes. "All I ask is that neither of you bust my balls over it when she doesn't call."

Sam laughs, and hops off the counter. "We'll just bust your balls when she does, baby."

Steve rolls his eyes, and counts his various shirts to make sure he has them all. Undershirt, t-shirt, a long-sleeved t-shirt that used to be Bucky's, and a sweater. He feels ridiculous in all his layers, but it's starting to get cold out and the sudden change from the heat of club makes him hack and wheeze otherwise. A mousy but comfortable little creature looks back at him from the mirror, and he gives himself a rueful smile, wondering how Peggy would like him this way.


	7. Chapter 7

Of course everyone at the table teases Peggy mercilessly, but she can't really care. She puts the card in her wallet for safekeeping, and gets rather more drunk than she really meant to. They linger almost until closing, and Peggy is half-asleep in the car on the way home. Eva has to prod her when they stop at her building, and Janet laughs at her.

"Out you get, Sleeping Beauty."

Peggy blearily checks to make sure she has the card, which makes everyone let out that juvenile rising 'ooh,' like they're a third-grade class who has seen Teacher's boyfriend for the first time. Peggy gives them two fingers and wanders on inside, wobbling a bit on her heels.

She manages to drink water and get her makeup off before falling asleep, and is only a little hungover the next morning. She has the day off, of course. One does not go to SHIELD and plan to do anything the next day. She puts herself together at her leisure, and it's noon by the time she sits down with a cup of tea and examines the card Steve gave her. She's glad she has a real-person name for him, even if Star is kind of cute.

Peggy has never been the kind of person to shy away from confrontation, but she also knows the value of patience. She doesn't call Steve until half-past two, since he can't have gotten to bed before three. She's rewarded with a voice that's quiet and husky, but definitely awake.

"Hello?"

"Afternoon, Steve. This is Peggy."

"...Oh." He sounds stunned, but not in a bad way. "Oh, hi! Uh. How are you?"

She does not laugh at the poor boy, stirring milk into her fourth cup of tea as heavy golden sun fills the kitchen. "Only a bit hungover. Yourself?"

"Working up the resolve to put on pants, and wondering if I should kick my roommate awake to get breakfast."

"Mm. I'm awake." She gives him a moment to compute that, and then graciously accepts his invitation to meet him an hour from now at a certain diner that he swears upon his honor can provide her with decent eggs. It's just enough time to shower and dither about what to do with her hair and nearly be late.

The diner smells promising, which is to say like fresh grease rather than old, and Steve has already commandeered a corner booth. He's wearing a more genuinely loved and lived-in version of the jacket he wore on the stage, and a blue sweater that brings out those remarkable eyes. The trouble of French-braiding her hair is suddenly worth it, and she smiles, moving to join him. He actually stands when she gets there, and she realizes that he'd be pulling her chair out if she had one. As it is they're sharing a cushioned bench, and she likes the proximity. He settles down once she has made herself comfortable, and goes just a little bit pink.

"Hi. You look great."

She chuckles. "So do you, dear." A waitress drops off water and menus, and Peggy examines her options, hungry now that she's mostly recovered.

They end up ordering a massive spread and sharing everything, the whole table cluttered with side dishes. He gets over his shyness enough to tell Peggy about his art class, and about his lifelong friend and roommate, Bucky. Surprisingly, that's actually what his friends call him, and he's Winter at work. They've known each other forever, and things are kinda gay but not really. "I'm not gonna refuse cuddles just because they're sort of gay," he says, shrugging. "I dance for men for a living. Well, mostly men."

"Mostly," Peggy agrees, sipping her juice and storing him up for later because he's unbearably cute again. "Did you follow Bucky to SHIELD?"

"Yeah. And now we know Sam, so we're kind of a little dance family. Peter is the kid brother we never asked for."

She laughs. "Carol is a bit like an older sister that way."

They linger over their emptied dishes for a long time, and then argue about the bill, which Steve insists on paying all of despite having consumed maybe a third of the food. "I invited you," he says, and Peggy supposes that's technically true. He leaves a generous tip as well, and explains his philosophy of tipped labor sticking together. He's surprised when she takes his hand, but laces their fingers together and gives her a radiant smile.


End file.
